The FIBA Europe Cup 2026-27 season commenced on Wednesday night with the first leg of the Qualifiers. Neftchi SC, BC Prievidza, and Dinamo Bucharest achieved victories, providing them with strong positions heading into the second legs, as the winners of each two-legged tie will advance to the Regular Season. An additional spot will also be available for the highest-ranked losing club.
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Neftchi SC delivered a compelling performance, defeating BC Parnu 80-67 at home in Baku. The team took control during the latter part of the first quarter and maintained their lead throughout the game. Shakael Pryce topped the scoring for Neftchi with 21 points. Klavs Dubults led Parnu with 21 points, as they aim to overcome a 13-point deficit in their home fixture next Wednesday.
In another matchup, BC Prievidza scored a decisive 103-83 victory against KK Samobor in Zagreb. After a promising start from the Croatian team, Prievidza regained their composure to take the lead with 3:39 remaining in the first half. They eventually extended their advantage to as much as 25 points, with Jared Coleman-Jones leading Prievidza’s scoring with 21 points on 8-for-9 shooting. Glen Burns recorded a game-high 22 points for Samobor.
Dinamo Bucharest achieved a dominant 96-58 win against KB Peja, jumping to a 16-point lead early and maintaining control throughout the match. DJ Burns contributed significantly with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Derrick Marks also scored 16 points. For Peja, Robert Smith and Xavier Johnson contributed 11 points each, facing a challenging road ahead in their next leg.
Daily highlights included DJ Burns' efficiency rating of 28 for Dinamo Bucharest and Glen Burns' 22 points for KK Samobor. DJ Burns also led in rebounds with 11, while Nandor Kuti tallied 7 assists. Christyon Eugene from BC Prievidza recorded 4 steals, and Rostyslav Novitskyi of Dinamo Bucharest achieved 3 blocks.